WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — An underground fire that's destroying a parking lot in James City County is still burning after five days, though fire crews said Wednesday conditions are improving.
A stormwater system that's roughly 12 feet deep under a parking lot at Williamsburg Premium Outlets caught fire Saturday. It's made of plastic crates. The pavement of the parking lot has been collapsing on top of the burning material as the plastic crates weaken in the fire. It's been challenging for fire crews to reach the underground fire.
WATCH: Drone video shows Williamsburg parking lot in ruins after underground fire
The fire's burning in the parking lot, but nearby neighborhoods have been blanketed with some of the smoke.
Neighbor Ed Sanchez told News 3 that the smoke, that smells like plastic, gets worse as the wind changes. He opted to wear a mask since he was working outside.
"It's concerning. First of all what are the health issues? What are the ramifications of that?" said Sanchez. "In due time there may be people here that have respiratory issues."
Watch previous coverage: Crews waiting for fire below Williamsburg parking lot to die before they investigate cause
He's been in the area for 20 years and has seen what's burning too.
"I actually watched that parking lot be constructed," said Sanchez. "So these plastic milk crate looking things that they buried underneath the parking lot was kind of new to me. I had never seen anything like that so I watched them put that together."
News 3 spoke with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to learn more about the crates and stormwater system.
Watch previous coverage: Plastic stormwater system fire causes Williamsburg parking lot collapse, but crews aren't sure how it started
Fire crews still don't know how the crates, meant to allow water to flow underground, caught fire.
"We're continuing to investigate," said James City County Fire Department Chief Ryan Ashe. "As we work through the pile we'll get more and more opportunity to look at things that are burning. With the amount of damage it will be very difficult to ever know a cause, but we will certainly try our best to see if we can determine it."
Access to the underground fire has remained a challenge for firefighters. Chief Ashe explained as of Wednesday the fire is contained to the hole in the parking lot. With the help of contractors, fire crews began to dig into and turn over the material Tuesday evening. They said Wednesday they were finally getting access to the hottest parts.
Watch previous coverage: Smoke increasing from underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets
"A lot of it's been underground, holding heat under the gravel and the concrete. Now getting all that out and turned over had allowed our hose streams to be much more effective," said Chief Ashe. "What we're seeing is a lot of smoldering. There are some flames in some areas but a lot of it is just smoldering really because it's holding all the heat under the concrete and the gravel. So I think as we turn that pile over we'll start to see conditions improve."
He said the conditions at the site are improving, though wind and humidity has resulted in more low smoke for neighbors. Those neighbors said they've been kept updated by the fire department and environmental agencies but still can't believe what's right next door.
Watch previous coverage: Fire causes partial parking lot collapse at Williamsburg Premium Outlets
"Never imagined that underground there would be a fire," said Sanchez.
The fire department cautions people with respiratory issues to stay inside, avoid the area, or take precautions when outside. Crews are monitoring the area for environmental concerns.
The fire department said air quality tests have been in the normal range for a fire of this nature.
